


Somewhere you belong

by FrauOphelia



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Alec Lightwood-centric, Alec is a good dad, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Insecure Alec Lightwood, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, POV Alec Lightwood, parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-07 07:06:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8788294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrauOphelia/pseuds/FrauOphelia
Summary: Magnus and Alec are entering a new challenge in their relationship and the Nephilim reflects on how far they have come. Are they ready to keep growing together?





	1. Lead the way

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a much more simple story, but I’ve been re-reading TMI and it stills frustrates me that we don’t get much insight when it comes to Alec. So, there. This is my first time posting anything here, so I would deeply appreciate any comments or suggestions. Please consider English isn’t my mother tongue and I don’t have a beta, but I would really like to continue this work.  
> Thank You !  
> Find me here: http://frauophelia.tumblr.com/

Alec stirred in bed, feeling both very cold and horribly hot at the same time.  It had been a while since he spent the night at the institute. Completely unable to fall asleep, he resolved to pick up his phone. The artificial light stung his eyes as he flipped through old pictures of him and Magnus. They had endured so much, been to hell and back. Literally. He could still remember trying to fight his feelings for him and struggling with his own identity. Mistakes were made, lessons were learnt and everything somehow fell into place and now they had this amazing life together.

Almost a year ago, they had welcomed a beautiful baby warlock into their home and things couldn’t be more perfect. Max, a name they had decided on to honor Alec’s little brother, was growing stronger every day; slowly but steadily learning how to control and develop his magic. Of course, it did help to have one of the most powerful warlocks in history as your dad. Although Alec often had to travel as the New York representative for the _Nephilim_ and Magnus kept busy as the High Warlock of Brooklyn, they always found a way to have some family time and even a decent amount of date nights, thanks mostly to Jace’s unexpectedly brilliant babysitting skills. They had built a very well articulate routine, which was probably the reason Alec couldn’t bring himself to fall asleep on his old bed.

He stared at the ceiling of the room he had lived in for most of his life and it surprised him how little it felt like a home. Now that he truly knew what it was like to have a place where he could be himself, he wondered how he had managed to stay sane during those awful adolescence years. Of course his parabatai and his sister were always there for him, but having to put up a front whenever he stepped outside or faced his parents was absolutely draining. But those days were behind him now.

Even when a few more conservative groups still frowned upon the fact that the head of the New York Institute was a gay man, it was incredible how many other couples had decided to come out to their friends and families without fear after the infamous wedding kiss. Alec still found himself smiling widely every time he thought of that moment. Not only did it carry an enormous amount of personal satisfaction, but it had also freed many of his fellow _Nephilim_ of their own prejudices. It was something that made him even prouder than his privileged position at the Clave. Everything was changing; new generations were being raised with an open mind about downworlders, finally seeing them as allies rather than nuisances. It was a world he was looking forward to be a part of.

He put his phone away after lingering on the last photo he had received that day: a very out of focus shot of his husband’s bejeweled hands, presumably taken by Max. The little one had just learned how to snatch objects away using his magic and he had a penchant for his daddy’s glitter-cased-iPhone. Alec buried his face on the pillow and reached underneath it, where he would normally find Magnus’ hand. Unadorned by his accustomed assortment of silver rings, his hands were long and soft, but strong and ever reassuring. He needed that right now more than ever, when he was about to help someone else to become their true self.

Three weeks ago, while visiting the Buenos Aires Institute, Alec had found himself in a situation he had no training for. After a very busy day, packed with boring meetings, he had decided to tag along a patrolling squad for a chance to see the Argentinian capital at night and get a glimpse of the Latin shadow world. Magnus had described it as quite hectic, but also very compelling. The warlock had also mentioned a particular jeweler who could create wonderfully intricate designs with rhodochrosite, a rare pink-red stone that would look perfect on his amber skin. So, after a very satisfying hunt, he strolled down the streets in search for the workshop. After years of watching Magnus pick out different items from endless rows of glittering jewelry —that had all seemed confusingly similar to Alec at first—, he was confident he could find the perfect pair of earrings for his man.

He had found the jeweler soon enough, decided on an oval shaped pair rimmed with white gold and promptly started walking back to the institute. Some point along his way down Viamonte Street, while trying to decide whether to snap a pic of the beautifully wrapped box to tease Magnus or simply surprise him when he got back home, he had sensed movement behind him. Immediately, his training had kicked in and he had reached for his bow. His husband had glamoured it to remain hidden in plain sight until needed, which was pretty convenient. As he pulled a runed arrow back and readied his arm to let it go at the slightest threat, Alec got a sense of uneasiness he normally associated with his parabatai rune. This time, however, the agitation had been brought about by a tiny, scrawny body crouching in between two dumpsters.

He remembered himself looking around to see the mass of passing people, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just drawn out a bow and arrow and pointed it to, what looked like, a human child. Except he wasn’t. He had swiftly recognized the eye shaped mark on the small, dirty hand. Of course no one could see him because of his Mendelin, but somehow the kid also seemed to go by unnoticed. Right then, something clicked inside Alec. Deep inside of him was a certainty, a slowly moving conviction that he was in the right place at exactly the right time. He had hidden his weapons, dropped to his knees and gently outstretched his open hand to show the boy his Voyance rune.

And now the little one slept peacefully on Max’s old bed, which they had placed next to Alec’s. Isabelle had wiped tears off her eyes the day they dragged their younger brother’s wooden bed out of his room. No one had set foot in it for years, practically since Maryse had locked herself inside it for days after the funeral. But now it was once again occupied. The sight had even made his stern mother give out a cry of joy. Although the boy barely spoke a word, and every time he did it would be a roughly pronounced Spanish, he had quickly taken to Alec and would often trace his runes with his fingers and stare at him with bright eyes.

Even so, he didn’t like to be touched and long silences made him nervous. He also liked Isabelle, who was fluent in Spanish, and Clary, mostly because she would lend him her prismacolor pencils. He specifically didn’t like Jace though, having tried to run away when the blonde had cautiously entered the room, but he never cried nor screamed. Communicating with him was hard, but over the past week things had improved and they had decided to move on with the adoption process.

From his state of malnutrition, Catarina had stated he had been living on the crowded, noisy streets of Buenos Aires for an alarming period. Invisibility and Soundless runes, marked on his back and permanently activated thanks to a spell, had kept the child separated from the world and unable to be provided with help. Clary had cried feeling profoundly frustrated when imagining the poor kid reaching for the people around him or crying with no chance to be noticed. Considering he was about five years old, it was likely he had been orphaned during the Dark War. It was probably his parents who, in a desperate attempt to keep him safe from Sebastian’s hoardes, had marked him to hide him during the attack.

Alec wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of sleeping away from his family, but Catarina had suggested that would be best to secure a smooth transition. It was already pretty traumatic to be taken away from the only place you had ever known only to be thrown head first into a new environment, language and customs. But, for some unknown reason, the whole situation felt right. They would spend a couple of days at the institute before finally going home, so Magnus would have time to prepare Max for the fact that he had just gotten an older brother.


	2. Find a way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the morning of the day Alec is bringing the little boy to meet the rest of his family. Although he feels he has made the right choice, his insecurities haunt him once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter II !  
> I wanted to keep addressing Alec's insecurities...so tell me what you think :)

The next morning, Alec woke up to find the boy’s hand barely millimeters away from his. He had cuddled closer to him during the dawn and he lay now pressed against Alec’s side and the divide between the two beds. Lost among his thoughts and recollections of the eventful past week, he hardly remembered falling asleep at all. And certainly, it didn’t feel like he had managed to rest in the least, but he had no time to linger in bed or fool around: today was the day. He was finally taking the little shadowhunter home to meet the rest of his family and there was no room for mistakes. Catarina had promised to stop by before they left to give the kid a final checkup, so it was best to get ready and have some breakfast before the healer came barging in and proceeded to school him on the importance of the first meal of the day.

He was in the middle of the delicate process of getting up without waking the sleeping child when his phone began buzzing on the night stand. A pair of large dark brown eyes, now widely open and aware, stared at him for a few seconds before cautiously wrapping himself back in his own bed, away from the older _Nephilim_.

“Good morning buddy”, said Alec, trying his best to sound as delighted as he felt by the boy’s unconscious gesture. Izzy had taught him how to say that in Spanish, but his accent was so terrible the little one couldn’t make sense of his words. He had vowed to learn the language no matter how hard and foreign its phonetics seemed on his lips. The boy smiled, but refused to get any closer as the vibrating object had startled him. Alec grabbed his phone and answered it, knowing who would be waiting on the other side of the line, surely already dressed, perfectly groomed and probably clacking a pair of Manolo’s on the granite floor of their kitchen with impatience.

“Alexander”, whispered Magnus in that silky voice that made him swoon regardless of the many years they had been together. “Did I wake him? I did, right? I only wanted to make sure you were still coming. I have everything set; I added a new bedroom right next to ours and the blonde one is on his way with books and artifacts fit for a young _Nephilim_ , and Max is absolutely thrilled but I made him promise he’d be nice…”

His voice rose up in excitement and Alec smiled as he looked at the pair of dark eyes peering back at him.

“…Wait, you _are_ still coming aren’t you?” he sounded genuinely concerned. The warlock had been waiting for this day just as much as Alec, having had to postpone it twice due to the boy’s poor health. They hadn’t seen each other since he had left for Buenos Aires and in between caring for the newcomer and Max being a lovely-blue-handful at home they had barely even spoken at all. The distance was taking its toll on them; his insomnia was proof of that.

“You did wake him, but it was good timing”, he replied. “Catarina will be here any minute now to take one last look at him and we need to get ready”. He knew he had voiced those last few words with a shiver of concern, after all, it had been the main reason they had delayed their return the last time.

“Oh, don’t you worry my dear” said Magnus, sensing the doubt in his husband’s voice. “I have already taken action to ensure Cat won’t keep you at the institute. It is all in our hands now”.

The second he finished that last sentence, Alec felt the weight of responsibility cutting through his core like a freshly sharpened seraph blade. There was no turning back now and he was utterly convinced that he had done the right thing by bringing the boy back with him. After all, his chances of surviving past the winter were slim at best and he clearly needed the guidance of his own people. Nevertheless, he had been indeed given the chance to leave him under the care of the Argentinian institute, but something had kept him from parting with the child. He had felt something similar for Max, but his attachment to the baby warlock had taken a few days to grow in. It scared him how quickly he was bonding with the boy. What would happen to him if the Clave decided Magnus wasn’t fit to take care of a shadowhunter? What if _he_ was, in fact, inadequate to carry on such a task?

“Darling, are you still with me?” Magnus’ voice broke his train of thought, although that didn’t stop a massive flow of insecurities from creeping through his mind.

“Yeah, I’m here. We got this. See you in a few hours” He ended the call knowing full well he hadn’t tricked his better half for a second. He _always_ saw past his evasion tactics. Alec now turned to face the tiny caterpillar covered in blankets. Only his eyes were visible at first, but as he got closer to sit on the bed next to him he spotted a chubby toe peeking out from the rolled up comforter. His skin was a warm cinnamon brown, similar to Magnus’, but the boy seemed to be permanently cold. He didn’t complain, but the frosty surface of his body resembled armor, like a protection barrier put up to keep others away; a survival mechanism Alec was more than familiar with.

“We are going home, _mi pequeño_ ” he uttered, hoping his pronunciation wasn’t that horrible. A fickle light showed up along the boy’s eyes.

“That wasn’t half bad. You just need to work on your Q’s, they should sound more like a K”, Izzy’s familiar voice echoed from the door. She was carrying a tray neatly arranged with silverware and porcelain plates. They contained a wide assortment of fruits sprinkled with sugar and honey and a few toasts, which were the only things the little _Nephilim_ had managed to keep down. “Don’t worry; I didn’t make any of this, turns out some of the new recruits have pretty decent skills, although none of those talents seem to repeat themselves on the ring”.

Isabelle had been recently charged with training the younger shadowhunters and she had been relentless, working them almost to exhaustion without any mercy. And that was exactly why Alec had given her that mission in particular.

“Buenos días, mi amor” she said sweetly, focusing her attention on the little one. It truly amazed Alec how quickly his sister could go from coldblooded huntress to affectionate aunt. The boy liked her enough to allow her to sit next to him and accept whatever food she offered, so he propped himself up and began grabbing sliced apples with one hand and poking the toasts to break crumps from them with the other.

“Thank you Izzy”, he said before standing back up and pacing, submerging back into his thoughts. He reached carefully for the cup of black coffee that sat next to a bowl of his favorite scrambled eggs and was met with a soft pinch of the back of his hand, courtesy of his sister. The kid giggled as he chewed on the fruit.

“Stop”

“Stop wha…”

“You know exactly what. You have been torturing yourself all night with the delusional thought that you may not be prepared to do this. But you are. You always have been. Ever since we were children, you have taken care of me and Jace in the most desperate situations. It’s not just the fact that you are the eldest, but you are a natural protector; you care more about others than yourself, which is practically the essence of being a parent. It will be fine”

Alec gave Isabelle a grateful look before taking the cup and sipping the dark liquid. Caffeine had just kicked in when Catarina knocked on the door and let herself in without stopping to wait for a response.

“I see you have finally taken my advice on proper nutrition”, she said with a dangerously lifted eyebrow and a quick look in Alec’s direction. Her white hair was pulled up in a bun and her agile hands were going through her suitcase as she set an array of medical instruments down on a near desk. The boy dropped his breakfast and ran across the room to hide behind Alec’s legs. He wasn’t very fond of Catarina, mainly because her doing her job implied too much touching for his comfort. He would only allow her to get near while sitting on Alec’s lap, so he dropped to the floor and welcomed the child into his arms.

“He has gained enough weight and his ear infection is practically gone”, she stated. “Is he sleeping through the night?” she inquired. Alec nodded firmly, as if to shake off any doubts the healer— and he— might still have. “Look, I just want you to take things easy; one step at the time. Watch out for any rashes, we still don’t know if he has any food allergies. And keep him from cold temperatures, his pressure is still slightly lower that I would like. But otherwise, everything seems in order. You boys are ready to go”.

Izzy gave out an excited giggle and winked at the little boy wrapped around Alec’s body. She mouthed the words _I knew it_ to his brother who, much to his own surprise, was also giggling. Of course she knew. 


	3. Show me the way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec reflects on his life inside the nstitute and the true meaning of "home".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long. My hard drive literally died and lost ALL of my work, so I had to re-write everything. But I am back! Hope you like it <3  
> This chapter is a little shorter, but I wanted to dedicate an entire chapter to the little boy meeting Magnus so... that's up next! I promise I will upload chapter 4 before friday so bear with me ;)

“It’s broken”. The words had washed across Alec’s body like frozen waves, numbing every nerve until he couldn’t feel or hear anything but Catarina’s voice accurately recounting the boy’s many injuries. New York’s weather hadn’t been much on the cooperative side the day they arrived on the Institute. The sky had been steel grey and the muddy clouds were soon parted by thunder, a roar so deafening the little boy had clinged to his side dugging his nails into the fabric of Alec’s coat.

He remembered that the cold, fluorescent lights of the infirmary had caused the child’s eyes to sting and water. He had been undoubtedly scared as they placed him on the gurney, but he did not cry. Alec had refused to leave his side as a group of mundane medics directed by Catarina performed all sorts of examinations on him.

“Well, it was broken. There, can you see it?” had explained the warlock, pointing at a small bump located right above the joint of the tiny elbow. “The abnormal growth of the bone is a natural response to the fracture; it shows where the two pieces reattached themselves in a slightly deviated position, hence the odd angle of his arm…”

She had continued explaining in full detail and Alec knew he ought to be listening, but he couldn’t. He and his siblings had many battle scars, certainly a handful of fractures as well, but they had never had to deal with the slow mundane healing process. Iratzes had always fixed those small problems. But the little boy hadn’t been so lucky, being left completely alone after Sebastian’s raid on Buenos Aires. It still pained Alec to think of all the time the boy had spent wandering the streets without food or anyone to protect him. Therefore, he had decided that such dreadful circumstances were never to repeat themselves as long as he lived.

The resolution weighed heavily but unwavering on his mind as he loaded their luggage onto the back of the cab. He always packed lightly, fitting most of his belongings in a small backpack. The boy, on the other hand, had collected quite a few items during his stay at the institute. Clary had given him a full set of prismacolors, drawing pad and a few coloring books, although she had assured the kid that it was perfectly fine to color outside the lines. Jace, who had recently begun to price himself as the best uncle of all time, had come up with a wooden box full of engraved throwing knives. Looking at Alec’s dangerously furrowed brows, he had agreed they should be kept by his parents until he was of training age.

Isabelle had layed a pile of books on different topics, mostly science for kids and shadowhunter History, at the boy’s feet. Alec knew she had slipped short messages written in Spanish for the boy to find eventually. Maryse, who had arrived a few days after them, had provided basically mountains of clothing and gear for the newcomer. She looked at the child with stern eyes, but she did not allow anyone else to dress him or fix his hair, a gesture Alec was secretly grateful for. Even Simon had dropped by the infirmary to present a small keyboard and sheet music. Just a few simple melodies to get him started, he had explained.

Alec shut the trunk of the car, surprised by his own ability to fit everything in there, and turned to the façade of the building. Everything from the thundering height of its gothic pinnacles and pointed arches to the dark stained glass and sculptural design of its vault seemed to make his mind drift off to days past: the beginning of his own training, Jace walking up the stairs for the first time, Izzy laughing off marriage proposals from other shadowhunters, Max waving goodbye as he left for Idris… Most of those memories, if not _all of them_ , were clouded by a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Without him hardly noticing, the institute had stopped feeling like home even when practically all his life had been shaped by the place. But he had found somewhere he belonged and now it was time to take the boy there with him, to his new family.

He lowered his gaze to the wide stone steps that led to the entrance of the church. The boy was sitting in the middle of the stairs surrounded by his siblings, his mother and Clary and Simon. As he looked at them, both the redhead and the newbie shadowhunter waved at him and disappeared through the giant doors, leaving the Lightwoods to say their final goodbyes. Jace was slowly winning the kid over, mainly by staying close to Clary or Isabelle, but he was comfortable enough now to let him touch him. So, when Alec saw the little one walking towards him hand in hand with his brother and sister it felt like a triumph. Maryse followed, closing the procession with a severe face and a tight grip on the boy’s shoulder.

“Now, I know that you’ll be on paternity leave for a few months, but call us _everyday_ , and you better send pictures. I don’t want to miss any important moments” said Izzy, refusing to let go of the little hand curled up in hers.

“We’ll go visit” added Jace, “whenever you are ready”. Alec smiled at them and looked down at the messy brown hair that framed a set of deep, dark eyes. The boy stretched his arms up, asking Alec to pick him up. He was light and much smaller than a normal five-year-old, but he would become strong. Him and Magnus would see to that. As he placed the child in the backseat of the taxi, he noticed that he dedicated a slight wave of his small hand to his aunt and uncle. Then, grandma stepped forward.

“You are now responsible for the correct upbringing of one of our own. I trust you will carry out this task with the pride and diligence that serves our family name”, she said with a stern voice. She gave the boy one last look and the hint of a smile before turning to leave. And then, she stopped. “Take care of my grandson”, she said without turning and ran up the steps.

It sounded like a dangerous warning, but Alec decided to take it as loving concern and, also, as a challenge. He took one last glance to the New York Institute before climbing into the taxi and shutting the door.

“Brooklyn, please”.


	4. Take me away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The little boy finally gets home to Magnus, but how will the High Warlock of Brooklyn react to the young shadowhunter?

The familiar spiral staircase greeted Alec with a much-welcomed warmth. Outside in the cold, he had trodden cautiously through puddles of muddy rain water gripping the boy’s little hand. They had woken up to an overcast morning, the clouds a thick layer above them and rain a strong certainty. The ride to the loft had been well over half an hour long, so Alec had time to recount Caterina’s many instructions in addition to his own mental notes on the kid’s medical care.

Moreover, he had created an exhaustive list of past injuries that needed further observation, common household accidents, possible allergies and early signs of PTSD to be on the look out. He knew the little boy had suffered immensely, so he had to be prepared to help him however he needed him to. And as if he didn’t have enough worries of his own, his mother’s words were still ringing in his ears when he finally walked across the foyer. The few steps separating the sidewalk from the entrance to the building had felt miles long, but now they were finally at the bottom of the stairwell. He looked at the child trembling slightly beside him, half cold and half terrified.

“Everything will be alright, buddy” said Alec and a faint smile crossed the boy’s cinnamon features. “ _Vamos a casa_ ” he added. If anything, it was a request.

As if he was answering Alec’s invitation, the kid reached up again asking to be carried. The shadowhunter adjusted his backpack on one shoulder as he picked up the two suitcases full of gifts and clothing with one hand and lifted the boy with the other. Feeling thankful for his balance rune, he climbed up the steps hastily. The door opened the second they stood in front of it and the smell of sandalwood was the first welcoming sign of a long-awaited reunion.

Magnus stood across the living room, which had now become a much more open space. Alec imagined his husband re-arranging the furniture and modifying the color pallete to suit the calmest environment possible. He noticed the windows had gotten larger, letting more light in and offering a pictoric view of the towering buildings, some of them dimly lit against the grayscale sky.

Looking at him from across their home, Alec could see every detail of Magnus’ body down to the golden specks of his cat eyes. With no need for a farsighted rune, he took in the perfectly groomed spikes of black hair that framed his beautifully symmetric features. Today, they sported a dash of bright purple here and there that matched his glittery eyeliner work. He was wearing one of his most ‘simple’ outfits: distressed jeans, a batik shirt with Indonesian motifs on top of which he had layered a variety of necklaces, and a pair of black spiked Manolo’s. He simply couldn’t resist. Magnus had decided to drop the glamour off his eyes, as they had agreed, so the boy could see him as he was. As Alec _loved_ him.

“Welcome home” he said simply.

He felt himself relax, allowing his nerves to give into the soothing sound that was Magnus’ voice, finally free from the annoying static that involved cellphone calls. The boy tensed against Alec’s chest.

“It’s okay, buddy” he tried calming him. “Do you remember the very important person I told you about? This is him, this is Magnus”.

He noticed tiny fists gathering the collar of his shirt. He slowly put him on the floor, kicking aside their luggage. The boy seemed to glue himself to Alec’s legs, hiding behind them and peering at the warlock with a mixture of curiosity and, sadly, a bit of fear. Magnus remained at a distance, a cautious smile on his face. Normally, he would have already gotten rid of their coats and bags, putting them magically away. But this was not the time to flaunt his powers.

“Here, let’s make you comfortable” said Alec, reading Magnus’ body language. He would always close his fists to prevent his fingers from waving with blue sparks. He took the boy’s coat off, an elegant cobalt blue piece chosen by Izzy, and hung it by the door next to his. “There you are, much better, isn’t it?”, he added. The boy responded with a grin. A few steps away, the warlock was doing his best to contain his excitement. That lopsided smile was so like Alec it was as the child was already becoming his. _Theirs_.

“ _Hola, pequeño_ ” Magnus spoke in a clear, yet soft voice. “ _Te estábamos esperando_ ”, he continued as Alec cocked his head to the side in silent laughter. Of course his man would be perfectly fluent in Spanish. Thanks to his sister’s express lessons, he could translate the greeting to himself along with the part about them waiting for him. He couldn’t make out the exact words, but he knew that Magnus was welcoming his new son home.

He also knew it’d been hard: almost a month of hoping for the boy to become healthy enough to leave the institute, with examinations and blood tests that felt like millions. The Clave had tried to interfere as usual, suggesting it would be better for the child to be raised by a married shadowhunter couple and questioning Magnus’ ability to care for a Nephilim. It had taking hours of phone calls to make them understand that he _belonged_ with them.

The little boy slowly let go of Alec’s legs and stood as tall as he was, looking at Magnus. Although he had been doing much better the past days, his dark eyes were sunken with the lack of sleep and trepidation. Still, there was something in his posture and the way he looked at the warlock that made Alec think of his first mission. The way he had griped his bow and looked at his siblings for reassurance was hardly different from the instinctive gesture in which the boy took the back of his hand, the one marked with the Voyance rune, to his own. That light touch had been their thing from the beginning, from that very day when they had met on the streets of Buenos Aires and the little one recognised the symbol on Alec.

With a quiet, yet meaningful look at Alec the boy began walking towards Magnus. Although alien and scary, this new world was his last chance and he was determined to hold on to it, however frightening. The evening of their encounter had been one of many nameless nights of wandering. The people walking around him had become a blurry mass of bodies, always deaf to his cries. It had been long since he tried to get anyone’s attention by screaming or pulling their clothes, having quickly learned it was futile.

But when he noticed the curling black lines on the tall man’s neck and forearms, something inside him clicked. A memory of a kinder life, much like a song disrupting the frequency of a badly tuned radio, appeared on his mind with astounding clarity. The voice of a slender woman with dark cinnamon skin and deep hazel eyes, the embrace of a strong man with pale features and amber eyes that matched his wavy hair. They too had those familiar-looking drawings on their arms and chests. He could barely make out their faces, but he recalled a searing pain on his upper back and then the woman pushing him through a hole in the wall.

After that, life had pretty much been about surviving. Enduring the cold, making it past hunger and thirst. Until that night. He had caught a glimpse of the tall man’s right hand; something a lot like an eye was drawn across it, its tangling lines exactly like the one on his own hand. So, he had followed him long enough to see him tucking a small box inside his jacket and smiling softly. A lopsided smile he mimicked whenever he felt a startling fondness towards the man and the people around him. Somehow, he was beginning to think that they were _his_ people too.

He took a deep breath followed by a slow exhalation, just the way the pretty girl with the long black hair had taught him, and took one step forward. Across the room, a long and lean figure stood motionless. His lips were curled up, but his eyebrows furrowed in concern. He had seen pictures of him and knew he was no ordinary person. His black, tired eyes locked into the yellow-green ones, its slit pupils looking back at him with concern. Another step.

Magnus held his breath as the child walked in his direction. A part of him wanted to run to the boy and pick him up, hug him, assure him he would never be alone again. But he knew better. Long ago, he had been alone too. With no control over his powers, he had been cast aside by his mother and the man he thought to be his father. He had to learn to subsist without any guidance and it was a fate he wished upon no one.  Today, as he moved around couches and lounge chairs for the billionth time, he remembered the fear and isolation that came with being an outsider, a pariah. The old wound seemed to reopen, a piercing gash on his chest. But as much as his pain tried to escape from the cracks of his past, he would always have the present to remind him life was full of unexpected joy.

Without moving an inch, afraid of startling the boy, Magnus looked up to Alec. They had fought two wars side by side, faced many demons together, been literally to Hell and back, yet they were both terrified at the prospect of taking in a five-year-old into their home. More specifically, they dreaded failing him. The lack of trust shown by the Clave had fueled a desire to prove them wrong and in their defiance, they had put their own fears on hold. Now, as the boy walked further into the room, realisation sinked in: there was no turning back.

Alec saw the kid’s determination reflected on his tight shoulders and clenched jawline. He stepped carefully, but with barely any hesitation. He moved closer to Magnus and stood in front of him. A brief, final glance towards Alec managed to soothe his tensed body. The warlock gasped, completely unable to stop himself. The child was not only beautiful, but he had the sincere gaze of someone who had endured the worst of the world and yet managed to have hope.

The little boy reached for his pocket and produced a small box. It was wrapped in a beautiful pale blue fabric and laced up with a silk ribbon. He slowly extended his arm to Magnus. It was the pair of rhodochrosite earrings Alec had gotten for him in Argentina. He dropped to one knee and took the gift, cupping the boy’s tiny hand with his long, graceful ones.

“ _Rafael_ …” he whispered. A spark crossed the child’s features, lighting up his eyes and eliciting a lopsided smile from his lips.

Yes, this was the place he belonged to.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm really sorry this took so long. Life has been weird lately.  
> Please tell me what you think about this chapter and share it if you enjoyed it !  
> Love <3


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